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Police arrest 511 after big HK democracy rally

Published on NewsOK
Modified: July 1, 2014 at 10:47 pm •
Published: July 1, 2014

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HONG KONG (AP) — Hong Kong police have arrested more than 500 people holding a sit-in a day after tens of thousands in the former British colony joined a massive march to push for democracy.

Tens of thousands of people fill in a street during a march at an annual protest in downtown Hong Kong Tuesday, July 1, 2014. Hong Kong residents marched through the streets of the former British colony to push for greater democracy in a rally fueled by anger over Beijing's recent warning that it holds the ultimate authority over the southern Chinese financial center. The protest comes days after nearly 800,000 residents voted in a mock referendum aimed at bolstering support for full democracy. (AP Photo/Vincent Yu)

Anger at mainland China has never been greater after Beijing warned recently it holds the ultimate authority over the freewheeling capitalist enclave.

That's despite a mini-constitution that gives the city a high degree of autonomy until 2047.

Police said 511 people were arrested Wednesday for unlawful assembly and preventing police from carrying out their duties. They were holding an overnight sit-in after the rally.

Police said 98,600 people joined Tuesday's rally at its peak, while organizers said 510,000 turned out, the highest estimates in a decade. Hong Kong University researchers put the number at between 154,000 and 172,000.